Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Manchester City football club owner, has acquired a prestigious stud farm in western France.
Al Wathba Stud in Abu Dhabi, owned by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, announced the purchase of the Haras de Fresnay le Buffard in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the regional newspaper Ouest-France, which first reported the news, the transaction is valued at €26 million and was finalised on 26 December.
The statement described the stud farm, founded in 1903, as a historic thoroughbred stud farm in France. It is located in Neuvy-au-Houlme in the Orne department of Normandy.
Renowned internationally under the ownership of Marcel Boussac from 1919 and later Stavros Niarchos from 1979, it has been home to numerous champion horses.
Deauville Sotheby’s International Realty listed that the estate includes a château spanning over 640 m² across four levels.
Sotheby’s also noted that the primary section of the stud farm covers 240 hectares, featuring 205 hectares of pastures and 12 hectares of parks.
